According to Gallup.com, approximately 60 million full-time working Americans (about half the US workforce), say that their current positions can be done remotely “at least part of the time.” The majority of employees prefer flexibility in their work schedules, and for many people, that means hybrid work. This shift in preference presents both opportunities and challenges for organizations and businesses looking to optimize performance and support their teams.

What is a Hybrid Workforce?

By definition, a hybrid workforce is split (usually unevenly) between employees working remotely, and employees working at the company headquarters or office locations. This model allows organizations to support a blend of in-office, remote, and on-the-go teams, fostering a people-first approach that enhances employee experience and performance. Hybrid work offers employees the autonomy to choose where they work best, thereby aligning with the goals and challenges of modern businesses.

What are the Hybrid Work Categories?

When organizations consider a hybrid workforce for their company, there are three primary models to consider:

• Work environment
• Scheduling
• Employee Division

Work environment

Scheduling

Employee Division

These categories form the starting point for organizations to establish a hybrid workforce, addressing key aspects of business operations.

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— Work Environment

Employees have the option to either work from home or go into the office, allowing organizations to support diverse work environments that enhance team performance. Each worker chooses the type of work environment where they can do their best work, aligning with the organization's goals. They have the flexibility to move between both locations, ensuring that business needs are met. Office spaces are ideal for holding meetings with clients and supporting face-to-face discussions with team members. Thus, depending on the day's requirements, employees can switch between a quiet environment at home for focused tasks or an office setting for collaborative work, thereby improving both individual and organizational performance.

— Scheduling

Organizations can set up hybrid work models according to a schedule that best fits their business needs and supports their teams. Two common models are the split-week and week by week, which help leaders manage the challenges of balancing remote and on-site work.

• The split-week model works by assigning specific days to in-office and remote work. One team or department can work in the office during the first half of the week and another can work in the office during the second half. 
• The week-by-week model works by assigning set weeks when specific employee departments or teams need to be in the office. These groups can spend the next few weeks (or whatever the schedule demands) working from home. 

The split-week model works by assigning specific days to in-office and remote work. One team or department can work in the office during the first half of the week and another can work in the office during the second half. 

The week-by-week model works by assigning set weeks when specific employee departments or teams need to be in the office. These groups can spend the next few weeks (or whatever the schedule demands) working from home. 

— Employee Division

The employee division model works by formally designating one team the “on premises” team and another the “remote” team, allowing organizations to optimize performance based on job requirements. Certain jobs require employees to be on site, such as factory workers and power plant technicians, supporting the business's operational needs. Administrative staff, sales representatives, customer service representatives, and IT experts may be able to do their work remotely, enhancing team flexibility and performance. This setup shows how hybrid work can cater to different job requirements, reflecting roles that can be largely autonomous and virtual versus those that need a physical presence, thereby addressing the diverse challenges faced by businesses.

Evolution of the Hybrid Workforce

The COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations and business leaders to rethink the way their people work. The adoption of remote work continued to grow, and permanent hybrid work situations started to take hold, transforming the employee experience and enhancing organizational performance. These work arrangements represent one aspect of the future of work, addressing the evolving challenges faced by businesses.

The pandemic worked to further normalize remote work, and many organizations and their business leaders considered for the first time a hybrid workforce option that combined the best of both worlds - remote work flexibility and in-person collaboration. During the height of the pandemic, many companies and their employees were forced to embrace remote work or not work, addressing significant challenges. This groundbreaking shift demonstrated that productive work could continue outside traditional office spaces, supporting both employee experience and operational performance, and provoking lasting changes in organizational structures.

LumApps for Hybrid Workforce:

Examples of a Hybrid Workforce

The following companies offer their employees a hybrid work option:

• Amazon allows its employees to work from home two days per week. The company intends to keep its US offices open, and this hybrid model provides stability for its brick-and-mortar locations.
• Cisco’s primary work arrangement is a hybrid one. Not all employees participate though; each team can decide whether it works best in a hybrid arrangement or an in-house one and proceeds accordingly. Cisco has offices across the US, with a head office in San Jose, CA.
• Some Deloitte employees can negotiate a hybrid arrangement with their manager. The company allows this on a case-by-case basis with managerial approval in its 80-plus American offices.
• Siemens’ hybrid policy is squarely focused on quality over quantity. The company doesn’t focus on the number of hours its employees must spend in the office; instead it is concerned at the results its employees produce.

Amazon allows its employees to work from home two days per week. The company intends to keep its US offices open, and this hybrid model provides stability for its brick-and-mortar locations.

Cisco’s primary work arrangement is a hybrid one. Not all employees participate though; each team can decide whether it works best in a hybrid arrangement or an in-house one and proceeds accordingly. Cisco has offices across the US, with a head office in San Jose, CA.

Some Deloitte employees can negotiate a hybrid arrangement with their manager. The company allows this on a case-by-case basis with managerial approval in its 80-plus American offices.

Siemens’ hybrid policy is squarely focused on quality over quantity. The company doesn’t focus on the number of hours its employees must spend in the office; instead it is concerned at the results its employees produce.

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According to career website Ladders, one-quarter of all professional jobs in the US and Canada will be remote by the end of 2023, reflecting the changing needs of businesses and supporting the evolving preferences of people in the workforce.

Organizations have also been considering the best way to use their office spaces. Many businesses will retain their physical offices instead of operating on a completely remote basis, addressing the collaboration needs of their teams. These organizations will still change their physical layout and how they use their space for collaboration, supporting both in-person and remote workforces.

Organizations might use their available space to have certain days set aside for in-person collaboration and meetings, supporting effective team dynamics. The employer will direct employees to engage in remote work on other days, aligning with business objectives. Management can reserve in-person team meetings for introducing new projects, brainstorming sessions, and team-building exercises, enhancing leadership and team performance. Remote days would be for performing tasks that employees can complete individually, supporting individual productivity. The office space would need to be updated; instead of a floor plan with several cubicles in the middle of the floor, these would need to be removed to make room for multiple collaborative meeting spaces for team members.

Additionally, hybrid work helps organizations and businesses achieve more sustainable operations by reducing commutes, lowering energy consumption in office buildings, and promoting a greener future, thereby enhancing overall performance and supporting environmental sustainability goals.

The Potential of a Hybrid Work Model

This white paper featuring research from McKinsey, ADP Research Institute, Microsoft and more.

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What are the Benefits of a Hybrid Workforce?

A hybrid workforce offers benefits for organizations, business leaders, and the employees alike. Consider the following advantages that support both people and the organization's performance:

1. Employees can work from the location where they’re more productive

Some employees find the office distracting, with phones ringing and other employees having conversations near them. If they are working from home, they have more control over their environment and can get their heads down and focus on the task at hand. For other workers, their home is full of distractions, and going to the office is where they can find their focus to get work done. 

With a hybrid work arrangement, organizations provide employees with flexibility in where they do their work instead of requiring them to work in one location full time. This flexibility supports team collaboration and allows people to attend to personal matters during breaks when necessary.

2. The workplace becomes more collaborative

It can become difficult for employees working from home to separate "work time" from "personal time". These workers may be at higher risk for burnout and "Zoom fatigue." Going into the office sometimes allows employees to get out and interact with their colleagues, supporting a healthier work experience. It may head off feelings of isolation and improve team dynamics. Workers experience more social interaction and engagement by participating in a combination of office and remote work, enhancing employee experience. Employees also benefit from an enriched company culture through in-person connections and a mix of team-building and face-to-face collaboration supported by strong leadership.

3. Employees get an improved work/life balance

Burnout is a major issue among employees, presenting significant challenges for organizations and businesses. According to Harvard Business Review, the stress caused by US workers attempting to juggle the demands of 40-hour work weeks (or more) in high-stress jobs and their other daily life tasks cost $125-$190 billion in healthcare costs due to physical and psychological problems, impacting organizational performance and employee experience.

When employees are part of a hybrid team, organizations can support work-life balance by allowing them to use their at-home days to schedule personal appointments like doctor's visits or dental appointments. Workers can take their children to and from school, enhancing their overall experience. Estimates say that an employee who works remotely half the time saves "the equivalent of 11 workdays per year" in time they would be spending commuting, thereby improving their performance and supporting organizational productivity.

4. Employers have the flexibility to recruit talent from anywhere

When organizations expect employees to work in a specific site, the human resources department is limited to local candidates (or ones who are willing to relocate). However, if the workforce is a hybrid one, human resources can expand the talent search worldwide to find the right person for available positions, thereby supporting diverse teams and enhancing business performance.

5. Companies can save money on workspace costs

When an organization adopts a hybrid work arrangement for its employees, it no longer needs to provide workspaces for each staff member full-time, leading to significant cost savings. Employees may only come into the office a few times per week or for certain tasks, allowing leaders to optimize floor space. The employer can tighten up its requirements for floor space, which will lead to savings in commercial real estate and enhance overall business performance.

6. Employee engagement and productivity increase

Employees with more flexibility in how they work are more engaged and satisfied in their work, positively impacting organizational performance. They are also more productive, supporting the overall business goals and enhancing the employee experience.

Organizations should recognize that workers are interested in continuing their hybrid work arrangements after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. If they are not offered the opportunity to continue, the majority may stay with their current employer, but they would not be happy to return to the office full-time, affecting leadership and employee retention. Close to half of employees would start looking for another job offering a more flexible work arrangement, presenting a challenge for businesses to support and retain their talent.

How to Build a Hybrid Workforce Strategy?

The COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations to implement their hybrid workforce strategy quickly. As the pandemic is now releasing its grip on the world, businesses can take the time to implement best practices when building a hybrid workforce strategy. This process involves reevaluating meeting schedules, investing in appropriate technology, and regularly checking in with employees to ensure their well-being and productivity in a remote setting, thereby supporting both employee experience and organizational performance.

Source: Envoy

1. Communicate with employees early on

Employees should be part of the process from the beginning to ensure a smooth transition. HR leaders, executives, and managers all have a role to play in communicating the advantages of a hybrid work arrangement to employees who have not been involved in one previously, thereby supporting a positive employee experience and fostering strong leadership within the organization.

2. Invest in the right technology and equipment

Assure employees that their organizations will provide the necessary productivity and communication tools for success in a remote working situation. They should be able to log into the company communication platform to access their files from any site. Additionally, the company should support its remote workers by providing monitors, comfortable desk chairs, and standing desks if required, enhancing overall performance and employee experience.

3. Schedule check-ins with the team regularly

Since people won't be in the office regularly (and some may not be coming into the office at all), it becomes crucial for leaders and managers to check in with team members regularly. During these virtual meetings, the manager can discuss:

progress on the team members' projects, 

any issues that are holding up progress, and

address any other matters the team wishes to discuss related to prioritizing, equipment and resources, deadlines, etc. 

4. Request employee feedback about their experience

To create a positive and engaged culture within your hybrid workforce, organizations should ask their people to complete anonymous employee satisfaction surveys. Employees are free to share their experiences without fear of reprisals if they know their responses are confidential. Business leaders should take all answers seriously and look for ways to address less-than-positive feedback. More importantly, the management team should be seen as taking action to correct situations where employees are unhappy, thereby supporting a healthy organizational culture.

5. Share continuing education opportunities with employees and managers

All employees, including those engaged in remote work within organizations, should be included in e-mails communicating opportunities for continuous learning. They should also be added to mailing lists for interesting content relevant to their work, supporting their professional experience and keeping them updated about changes in their employment area.

The Potential of a Hybrid Work Model

This white paper featuring research from McKinsey, ADP Research Institute, Microsoft and more.

How to Manage a Hybrid Workforce?

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Managing a hybrid workforce presents different challenges compared to working with an in-office one. Employees enjoy the flexibility of remote working, while organizations and leaders need to adapt to supporting teams that are off-site for at least part of the time. Here are some suggestions to make this work arrangement successful for everyone, enhancing overall performance.

1. Rethink your meeting schedule

When organizations shift to remote working, it isn't as easy to schedule meetings. Managers must ensure that teams are all available at their various locations simultaneously for a Zoom conference. To address the challenges of coordinating across different sites, unless the meeting agenda is essential, it may be more efficient to wait until another time to schedule a team meeting.

Necessary team meetings will likely be short and to the point, enhancing organizational performance. A meeting that would have taken an hour in the office (and included coffee and snacks) will now take about half the time. Long virtual meetings can lead to Zoom fatigue, posing challenges for employee well-being.

It is inefficient for organizations to have someone update all attendees about routine matters during a Zoom meeting. Instead, send an e-mail to all attendees before the scheduled time. This strategy is more efficient, improving business performance, and attendees can ask pointed questions if anything is unclear.

2. Don't spy on employees to ensure they are being productive

Some companies invest in monitoring software to determine whether their employees are working at home. This strategy is generally a waste of the manager's time. 

Create a supportive work culture where employees are appreciated for more than the number of keystrokes they make daily. Let people know that they can advise their manager if they need to step away from their desk to look after a personal or family matter, enhancing employee experience and organizational culture.

3. Introduce new hires to the hybrid company culture

When recruiting new employees, organizations should ask candidates how they feel about remote work as part of the interview process. Ensure that new employees feel comfortable working remotely, supporting their integration into hybrid teams. It's crucial to have an onboarding process that addresses both remote and in-office work, fostering a positive employee experience and effective leadership.

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Company training documents should reflect that the new employee is adjusting to working with a new team that uses different procedures, supporting effective teamwork in a hybrid environment. The onboarding process should address that the new hire can't necessarily walk down the hall with any questions or concerns. Remote work requires a different dynamic than working in an office, challenging organizations to support their people effectively. Team members need to reach out to each other with questions quickly, so they don't get off track; there is much less opportunity for feedback when working remotely, necessitating strong leadership and communication strategies.

4. Share your future remote work plans with employees

Organizations need to decide on a return-to-work strategy that employees can understand, ensuring clear communication from leaders. Some businesses may decide that all employees will be working from home due to the high cost of maintaining a post-pandemic physical office. Others will continue with a hybrid workforce permanently, supporting a flexible and sustainable business model.

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Organizations should avoid keeping remote employees waiting and not knowing whether their current work arrangement is permanent, as this uncertainty is stressful. The longer employees work from home, the more permanent it seems, supporting a better work-life balance with less commuting. They get used to this lifestyle and may find it challenging to give up, presenting leadership challenges for businesses to retain talent and support employee satisfaction.

→ Read more: 10 Solutions to Manage a Hybrid Team in a Hybrid Workplace model

How to Measure Performance of a Hybrid Workforce?

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When organizations are setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure a hybrid team's productivity, select ones that will track and improve employee performance. The following KPIs will indicate which employees are performing well and whether any workers need some additional support, enhancing overall business performance.

1. Communication

Depending on the employee's job and responsibilities, the manager may expect team members to respond in minutes. In other circumstances, a same-day response may be considered reasonable. The best way organizations can evaluate communication within the team is to consider the average time the whole team takes to communicate internally and externally - then work on shortening that average to boost team performance.

2. Self-discipline

Now that teams are working remotely, organizations expect employees will get their work done independently. Managers aren't available to constantly check on a worker's process or confirm they are following company policies. Employees have more independence in doing their work and solving issues in their own way, supporting individual performance and team efficiency.

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To measure self-discipline, managers can consider the number of projects an employee can complete without asking for additional instructions. The manager can also look at how often an employee must be reminded about upcoming deadlines and whether an employee can remain calm even when frustrated, thereby assessing individual performance and determining if any support is needed within the team.

3. Use of Technology

A hybrid or fully remote workforce won't achieve optimal performance unless everyone in the organization uses the technology appropriately. Suppose the company leaders decide that everyone needs to check in daily using an attendance tool. In that case, that is a rule everyone needs to follow. The team doesn't need anyone who feels they don't need to follow the rules by refusing to use the same technology as the rest of the group, ensuring consistent support and performance across the organization.

4. Interest in Continued Learning

Employees should show an interest in e-learning to stay up-to-date in their current jobs, enhancing their experience. They should also be interested in learning events held by the organization (online or in-person) to keep apprised of news and events in their industry, supporting continuous professional development.

5. Employee Output

Operational efficiency is another KPI that organizations can consider when measuring an employee's performance. The management can look at the number of productive hours the employee has put in over the evaluation period, their completion rate for projects, the number of customers serviced, etc., to assess overall business performance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organizations to implement a hybrid workforce and become a real digital workplace. This model has proved successful in many cases and has encouraged businesses to consider making the arrangement permanent in numerous instances. The technology exists for off-site workers to collaborate easily with their in-office teams and each other and complete their work from any location where they can get online. Now that businesses know that geography doesn't have to be a barrier to teamwork, employees can enjoy a better work-life balance. The company receives the benefits of higher productivity and happier, more engaged people, enhancing overall organizational performance and employee experience.

The Potential of a Hybrid Work Model

This white paper featuring research from McKinsey, ADP Research Institute, Microsoft and more.

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